Controlling device.



L. A. MAPELt CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15. I916.

1 ,265,933. Patented May 14, 1 918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

L. A. MAPEL.

CONTROLLING- DEVICE.

APPLIFATION FILED MAY 15. ms.

Patnted May 14, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS A. marnnon ST. LOUIS, Mxssonm,

ASSIGNOR TO MECHANICAL DEVELOPIN [ENT COMPANY OF MISSOURI, OF- ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

CONTROLLING DEVICE.

come operative or inoperative at the end of' a period or interval of time. a

One object of my invention is to provide a controlling device of novel construction that can be easily adjusted to change the period or interval that the controlled element remains operative or inoperative.

Another object is to provide a controlling or signaling device of the kind-previously referred to which is so constructed thatlit can be used successfully in a damp or moist atmosphere without liability of the time indicator or the electrical apparatus getting out of order.

And still another object is to provide a combined signaling and illuminating device that presents a neat and ornamental appearexample,

ance. Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

I have herein illustrated my invention embodied in a device that is adapted to be used in'connection with a machine which itis desired to have operate at intervals, such, for as a laundry washing machine, the device either being constructed in such a manner that it controls the means that drives the machine or being equipped with a signal that acts automatically at the end of an interval so as to notify the operator in charge of the machine when the machine should be stopped. I wish it to be understood, however, that the particular purpose for which the device is used is immaterial, so far asmy invention is concerned. The-device is provided with a clock or other suitable time. indicator, an electric switch and a means governed by the time indicator for causing said switch to operate automatically at the end of an interval or period, a manually-operable means being provided for changing the condition of the witch and for resetting the time indicator.

full, clear,

circuit, and the The device is also provided Application filed May 15, 1916. Serial No. 97,681.

with means for indicating what the various periods or intervals represent, so that the operator in charge of the machine will know at all times just what work the controlled machine is doing.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a front elevational view of a device constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of said device.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of said device, taken through the transverse center of same.

Fig. 4-. is a horizontal sectional view of said device, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a detail vertical sectional view, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, which illus trate the preferred form of my invention, A designates a housing or. hollow shell that incases a time indicator B of any suitable type whose hand or pointer 1 travels over a dial 2 arranged on the front'face of the housing A. The housing A is provided with two cylindricalshaped portions 3 equipped with electrical receptacles 4 of any suitable type, one of which is adapted to receive a plug or other form of electrical connector 5 that is connected to a supply other being adapted to receive either a lamp bulb or a plug that is connected to an electrical conductor leading to a controlled element. The device herein illustrated is equipped with a signal that operates automaticallyv and therefore, I have 'shown an electric lamp bulb 6 arranged in one of the electric receptacles 4, as shown in Fig. 1, the upper portion of the bulb 6 being preferably formed of colored glass and the lower portion of clear glass, so that said bulb will serve both as a signal and an illuminating device. Ah electric switch is provided for eration of the signal 6, and the time indicator B is provided with means for causing said switch to operate automatically at the end of a period or interval of time. The switch herein shown. comprises a movable. element C provided with an arm 7 that is adapted to be engaged and moved in one direction by an arm 8 connected to the main spring arbor 9 of the time indicator B, and while it is immaterial, so far as my broad idea is concerned, how the switch is constructed and arranged, I prefer to arrange governing the op- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 14:, 1918.

it on the 'inside of the housing A on an insulator 10 that carries the electrical receptacle 4; which receives the signaling device 6. The shells of the electrical receptacles 4 are connected together by a wire 11- the movable element C of the switch that coiiperates with two contacts 13 and 14 carried by the insulator 10, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the contact 13 consisting'of a flat plate on the insulator 10 against which one end of the movable element 0 bears when said movable element is in one of its positions, and the contact 14 consisting of a plate provided with an upwardly-projectin flange 14 that bears against one side 0 the movable element 0 of the switch. The movable element C ofthe switch is securely connected to a plunger or manually-operable member 15, formed of insulating material, that is arranged horizontally in the lower portion of the housing A, and a torsion spring 16 is combined with said plunger in such a manner that it moves the plunger in a direction tending to hold the movable element C of the switch in engagement with the contact 14: and out of engagement with the contact 13, said spring 16 being mounted on the plunger 15 between the switch member O and an insulating bushing 17 in the housing through which the rear end portion of the plunger 15 passes, as shown in Fig. 4. Normally, the spring 16 holds the switch member C in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, wherein it will be noted that the right hand end of said switch member is spaced away from the contact 13, as is more clearly indicated in Fig. 5, said switch member being so constructed that the left hand end portion of same serves as a stop that bears agalnst the insulator 10, as shown in Fig. 5, and thus limits the degree of oscillating movement which the spring 16 imparts to the switch member C.

In order that the hand 1 of the time indicator B may be set at any desired position on the dial 2, I have provided the shaft 9, to which said hand is connected, with a knob or finger piece 18 secured to the front portion of said shaft that projects forwardly through the dial 2. If the device is operated in such a manner that the electric lamp bulb 6 acts as a signal when it is illuminated, the switch member 0 will occupy the position shown in full lines in Figs. 2, 4 and 5 when the signal is inoperative. The hand 1 of the time indicator B travels in anti-clockwise direction over the dial, and the arm 8 that actuates the movable element C of the switch 1s arranged on the main spring arbor of the tune indicator in such a position that it strikes the arm 7 on the movable element C of the switch just before the handl of the time indicator reaches zero, thus causing the switch to be actuated at the end of a period or interval of time. If it is desired to have the-signal 6 operate at the end of an interval, say, of ten minutes, the hand 1 of the indicator is set at the numeral 10 on the dial 2, the time indicator being so constructed that the act of setting said hand stores up energy in the main spring 9 of the time indicator. As soon as the operator releases the resetting knob 18, the hand 1 of the time indicator starts to move in anti-clockwise direction over the dial of the lndicator, and

just before it reaches the numeral 30 on the dial, which represents the zero position of the hand, the movable element C of the switch engages the contact 13, and thus completes the circuit that energizes the signal 6. When the signal 6 operates the operator in charge of the device knows that the period for which the device was set has ended and that the machine in connection with which the device is used should be stopped, the

signal 6 remaining in operation until the operator in charge of the device opens the signal circuit. To open the signal circuit the operator merely'pushes rearwardly on the plunger 15, so as to move the switch member C out of engagement with the contact'14 against which the side face of said switch member bears, said plunger being held in its retracted position by the frictional contact between the arms 7 and 8 which are held in engagement with each other by the torsion spring 16, which, as previously stated, constantlyexerts pressure on the plunger 15 in a direction tending to oscillate it to the left, looking at Fig. 2. The act of resetting the hand 1 of the time indicator carries the arm 8 out of engagement with the arm 7 on the switch member C, and thus permits the plunger 15.t0 move forwardly and the switch member C to move forwardly into engagement with the contact 14 and upwardly out of engagement with the contact 13, soas to be in position to be actuated by the arm 8 of the time'indicator when the hand 1 of the time indicator again reaches zero. The purpose of providing the device with a switch member C that is constructed and operated in the manner just described is to enable the signal 6 to be rendered inoperative without resetting the hand 1 of the time indicator, as it is often desirable to have the controlled machine with which the device is used remain'inoperative a short time between two intervals. The time indicator B is mounted on posts 19 that project forwardly from the rear wall of the housing A, as shown in Fig. 3, and in order to hermetically seal said housing, I arrange a washer 20, formed of some suitable packing material, on the inside of the dial 2' at the point where the main spring arbor 9 of the time indicator passes through the dial, said washer being held tightly against the rear side of the 'd1a1 by means of a spring 20*, as shown in Fig. 3. A gasket 21 is alsoarranged between the rear side of the dial 2 and the bottom of an annular recess in the front wall of the housing A in which the dial 2 is positioned.

v As previously stated, the device is provided with means for indicating what the various periods represent, and in the form of my invention herein illustrated said means consists of two indicators D and E mounted on the housing A and provided with suitable indicia, such, for example, as letters or numerals 22 and 23, respectively; the indicator D being provided with several letters, for example, A, B, C and D, as shown in broken lines in Fig.1, and the indicator E being provided with several numerals, for example, 1, 2, 3 and 4, as shown in broken lines in said figure. Each of said indicators is rotatably mounted in a bifurcated portion 24 on the housing A which is provided with a sight opening 25 through which one of the characters on the indicator can be seen, the indicator being substantially disk-shaped and being so arranged that the edge portion of yond the bifurcated portion of the housing 24 in which the indicator is mounted. A spring detent or other suitable form of locking device 26 is mounted in the bifurcated portion 24 of the housing, so as to hold the indicator in the position in which it has been set. If the device is used in connection with a laundry washing machine, the indicator D will be set in such a position that the character A thereon is exposed to view when the process in the washing operation known as process A is being performed by the machine and the indicator E will be set in such a position that the numeral 1 thereon is exposed to view when the first step in the washing process is being performed. If the first step of process A re uires ten minutes, the operator sets the ban 1 of the time indicator at the numeral 10 on the dial 2, and when said hand reaches zero on the dial, the signal 6 will operate, and thus notify the operator in that the first step of process A has been completed. If process A includes another step, the operator sets the indicator E in such a position that the numeral 2 thereon will be exposed to view and at the same time he sets the hand of the time indicator at the proper numeral on the dial which represents the duration of the period or interval required by the second step of process A. It will thus be seen that the operator in charge of the device knows at all times just what work or process is being performed by the machine with which the device is'used. Consequently,

there is no liability of the operator making the indicators D and same projects slightly be-' moist atmosphere,

charge of the machine Patent, is;

a mistake in the manner in which he operates the machine or in the period of time portions '3 that receive the electrical receptacles are arranged diametrically opposite each other at the top and bottom of the housing A, the bifurcated portions 24 in which arranged diametrically opposite each other on the sides of thehousing A.

A controlling device of the construction above described enables the operator in charge of the machine in connection with which the device is used to accurately control the operation of the machine and stop the machine after it has been in operation for a certain interval or period of time, as it is provided with a signal that operates automatically at the end of a period. The device can'be set easily for diflerent periods or intervals, and as it is provided with an exposed dial the dial, the operator can tell by glancing at the dial just how long'the machine has been in operation. The device is so constructed that the time indicator and the electricalapparatus of same will not getout of order when the device is used in a damp or owing to the. fact that the the switch are arranged in a hermetically sealed housing, and another desirable feature of such a device is that it comprises means for indicating what work is being performed by the machine time indicator and with whichthe device is used. Furthermore,

such a device presents a neat and ornamental appearance, and when it is equipped with a signal of the character herein illustrated, it performs the dual function of a signaling device and an illuminating device. I wish itto be understood, however, tion is not limited to a device that is equipped with a signal of the character herein illustrated, nor is it, essential that the element which acts automatically at the end of a period be a signal, the term controlled element as used in the claims meaning a signal, a machine or any element or medium which it is desired-to have remain operative for a certain period or remain inoperative for a certain period. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters that my inven-- E are mounted being and a hand that travels over part to restore the controlled element to its former condition without disengaging said switch part from said movable member.

2. A controlling device, comprising a time indicator provided with amovable member that can be set in different positions representing different periods or intervals of time, a controlled element, an electric switch comprising a movable part that governs the condition of the circuit in which the switch is arranged, a spring that constantly exerts pressure on the movable part of the switch so as to maintain the circuit in its open condition, said movable switch part being so arranged that it will be engaged by said movable member and moved into a position to close the circuit at the end of a period or interval, anda manually-operable means for opening the circuit after the switch has been actuated by the movable member of the time indicator without disengaging the movable member of the time indicator from the movable part of the switch, thereby causing the switch to be automatically set in condition to act when the movablemember of the time indicator is set perparatory to the beginning of a period or interval.

3. A controlling device, comprising a housing, a time indicator arranged inside of said housing and provided with a dial and a hand that can be set in different positions on the dial so as to represent periods or intervals of different duration, a switch-actuating device moved by said time indicator, an electric switch comprising a movable element that is adapted to be engaged by said switch actuating device at the end of a period or interval and moved in one direction so as to change the condition of the circuit in which said switch is arranged,a

spring that normally exerts pressure on said movable element tending to move it in the opposite direction, and a manually-operable means adapted to be actuated after the switch has been operated by the time indicator for moving the movable element of the switch so as to restore the electric circuit to its former condition without disengaging said movable member from said switch-actuating device.

4. A controlling device, comprising a housing, a time indicator carried by said housing, an electric switch governed by said time indicator, a plurality of contacts arranged so that the movable element of the switch will have to-enga e both of said contacts to close the circuit in which the switch is arranged, a manually-operable actuating device connected to the movable element of the switch, and means which tends to hold the movable element of the switch normally in engagement with one of said contacts and out of engagement with the other contac'.

5. A controlling device provided with an electric switch that comprises an oscillatingly mounted switch member, a manuallyoperable device that carries said member, two contacts, a spring which tends to hold said switch member normally in engagement with one of said contacts and out of engagement with the other one, and a time indicator provided with means that is adapted to engage said switch member and move it into such a position that it engages both of said contacts.

6. A controlling device comprising a housing, a time indicator carried by said housing and provided with a switch-actuating member, an electric switch whose mov, able element is provided with a device that is adapted to be engaged by said switch-actuating member, and a manually-operable plunger that carries the movable element of the switch and which is adapted to be moved to change the condition of the circuit controlled by the switch after the switch has been operated by said time indicator.

LEWIS A. MAPEL. 

